winter's end
by winterbranwen
Summary: He had let himself believe there was no one left to lose.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** winter's end **  
Pairing:** qrow/winter **  
Warning:** mentions of blood and death He had let himself believe there was no one left to lose.

* * *

"There's blood everywhere. This is incredibly unhygienic." She mumbled, her words slurring together.

Winter reached and clumsily attempted to pry Qrow's hands from the wound. He grit his teeth and smacked her hand away. He had been working furiously to staunch the bleeding, using anything he could think of in an attempt to dress the wound and clean it.

"Stop that. You're bleeding out and there's too much damage for your aura to heal-" He told her, forcing the heel of his palm over her slick skin.

A portion of her jacket had been ripped and pressed against her stomach and that had done well until it became soaked through. When fabric no longer became a viable option to cleanse, Qrow stripped his jacket and rested it over her abdomen. He looked over his shoulder, towards the thicket of trees he had hid them behind. Their position was compromised and every second they sat here they were open to attack.

"Shit, Winter." He cursed, looking back down to her.

Her skin was covered in a thin film of sweat, taking on a sickly shade of white. He looked down at his hands and felt bile rise in her throat. Blood was wet and thick on his skin, beneath his fingernails and soaking through- he tore his gaze away and looked at her face. Her lips were pressed thin, just as pale as the rest of her.

Her eyes were half lidded, head lolling to one side. She would be losing consciousness soon.

"Hey, Ice Queen, eyes on me, got it?" He ordered. He raised a blood crusted hand to pat her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open, brow pinching in irritation.

"Do not tell me what to do." She muttered, groggily.

"Have you ever been stabbed before this?" He asked her, frowning.

"Of course not."

"Then shut up and listen to the expert." He ordered.

"Getting a few flesh wounds hardly makes you an expert." She muttered, eyes casting down to study her wound closely.

Her teeth grit and she inhaled sharply when she attempted to sit up. Qrow brought a hand quickly to curl around her back and help her.

"Easy." He warned.

"I know." She groused, nose wrinkling. She waved dismissively in his general direction and if the situation hadn't been so dire Qrow might have laughed at her.

Her hand rested on her stomach and she probed gently at the hole in her abdomen. She cringed.

"Ow." She groaned.

"Yeah, don't do that. Now hold still." He crouched beside her and hooked one arm around her middle and the other beneath her legs.

She let out a soft gasp when he lifted her up. He felt her tense in his arms, fingers clenching his jacket in her fists.

"Easy." He murmured. "I'm going to get you back."

"This is slightly humiliating." She admitted, voice muffled against his neck.

"If you stay awake I promise not to tell anyone." He bargained, adjusting her just slightly. Her forehead pressed to his throat. She was clammy now.

"Mm."

"Hey, talk to me." He nudged her gently.

Her eyes squeezed shut, her head pounding.

"I don't know what to t-talk about." Her voice was thick now and he silently prayed her lungs weren't filling with fluid.

"Weiss. Tell me about Weiss." He said, looking down at her.

Her eyes opened, now red rimmed and dilated. She smiled, just a small curl of her lip.

"She was…such an _ugly_ baby." She began, her smile growing wider. "I was so angry at my parents for bringing her home. She would scream f-for hours and I-"

She coughed, her chest heaving. It had a hard and wet sound to it. Her hand clasped at her mouth and when she brought it away there was a thick, dark substance on her fingers.

"Oh."

The fluid dribble at the corner of her lip and she wiped it with her sleeve. She grimaced at the stain.

"That's certainly not a good sign." she said, hoarsely.

"Shut up and focus on your breathing." he ordered. He hated how the panic was clear in his voice. His heart hammered in his chest and he forced himself forward, careful not to jostle Winter in his arms.

"I tried to call Ozpin but we're out of range. It should be just a little farther." he told her.

She nodded solemnly. She tilted her head towards his chest and rested her forehead there. He could feel her breath against his skin and focused on the heaving rasp of her breathing rattling in her chest and throat.

Both were silent for some time, until Qrow skid to a stop. He set her gently down onto the grass. His hand curled around her cheek and he smiled at her. She returned it with a feeble little grin. He dug out his scroll from his pocket and dialed Ozpin.

"Qrow, where on Oum have you been-" Glynda shouted immediately.

"I need an evacuation right now. Winter is injured." he cut in. He gave her a way glance and saw that she had brought her hands to rest over his jacket, fingers threaded together.

There was harsh murmuring in the background and Qrow recognized Ironwood's stern voice.

"We are sending help now. What injuries has Ms. Schnee sustained?" Ironwood asked.

"Death stalker stab to the stomach. She's lost a lot of blood." Qrow responded, shortly.

He heard Ironwood curse under his breath.

"She's-"

Qrow turned to her again, mouth open to tell her the news

"No!"

The scroll hit the ground with a dull thud and Qrow darted to Winter's side. He propped her head up, pressed his thumb and forefinger to her wrist in search of a pulse.

When he found nothing he dropped her hand, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. Qrow's eyes burned and he shut them quickly blinking rapidly in an attempt to dissuade the tears from falling. He had let himself believe there was no one left to lose. He had become too damn comfortable, let himself be happy, let himself believe that he had chance-

He should have known better.


	2. Chapter 2

**This wasn't originally going to be multi chaptered but I went through all of my posted fics and decided that poor Qrow and Winter deserve a semi happy ending this time. There's going to be one more chapter after this one so stay tuned for the final chapter.**

The last few hours had been a confusing blur of movements and shouting that Qrow had witnessed through bleary, sleep deprived eyes. He remembered a ship descending down to meet him, he remembered how heavy Winter had felt in his arms and how the medics had lifted her away from him and rushed her back to the airship. Ironwood had arrived with them, looking stricken as he marched towards Qrow and ushered him onto the ship.

Qrow was not entirely proud of how he had been acting throughout the ordeal. He had been anchored by Winter's bedside, despite it all, and the medics had been responding to him with absolute indifference except to swat his hand away when it reached to touch her.

When they touched down in Atlas she had been rushed to an emergency operation room. Repairing her aura was a priority.

Qrow was no doctor, he only knew basic first aid from his years of skinned knees and injuries that came from being a Hunter. But even he knew Winter's situation was dire. You didn't come back from an aura depletion like that. At least not the same.

He had been seated in a waiting room, surrounded by others crying and worrying over their own family members. Qrow felt horribly out of place. His throat was tight, his fingers thread together and his knuckles white.

He wasn't quite sure how long he had been waiting when Ironwood came to him. The General took a seat beside Qrow, exhaling heavily when he did so. The two men sat in silence for a moment.

"Winter has been my protege since she graduated. I had always planned that she would assume my position after my retirement." Ironwood told him, stiffly, his voice even and not betraying his anguish.

Qrow snorted. Winter would love to hear that.

"She'll be a better General than you." Qrow told him.

There was a brief silence again.

"I know." Ironwood conceded.

Qrow looked at him for only a moment, considering the man beside him. He had never really liked Ironwood. It may have stemmed from his resentment of Atlas, but his dislike for the General only grew when he began dating Winter. She was overworked and under appreciated in her position. And Ironwood took advantage over her strained relationship with her family.

Winter deserved better. Qrow just hoped she would live to realize that herself.

A few moments later a healer came to speak with them. Qrow stood to meet her, eager for good news. The woman hesitated, eyes flickering from either man.

"She's stable but still in critical condition. Miss..." the Healer hesitated, eyes narrowing at the file in her hand, "Miss _Schnee's_ aura was repaired. We expect now that it's replenished she will be on her feet soon enough."

Qrow felt instant relief wade through him. His fists uncurled at his sides.

"Now, Mr. Branwen may follow me to her room but you must wait until visiting hours, General." she continued.

Qrow gave the General a sparing glance, but saw the flicker of disapointment.

"I understand. Give her my best wishes, Qrow."

Qrow moved to follow the healer but Ironwood stopped him, a heavy hand on his shoulder. "I had to contact her family, Qrow. You understand."

Qrow shouldered the hand off and continued. "Yeah." he mumbled.

The room he was lead to was immaculate. There was a faint beeping originating from one of the machines they had her attached to. Qrow moved to her bedside immediately, though his hands hovered above her, unsure where or how to touch her.

Her skin was pale, more so than usual. The soft pink that typically tinged her cheeks was absent, replaced by a sickly white tone. The veins in her eyelids were apparent, little tracks of blue in her transparent skin.

He touched her cheek. She was still cold. Her chest was rising and falling from the machine forcing air into her lungs. There was an iv in her arm pumping in strangers blood and various liquids that were meant to artificially heal her damaged aura. It was all so foreign, she looked so small beneath the tubing and strange wires protruding from her skin.

He sat with her for hours, until his eyelids grew heavy and the healers brought him a blanket. Qrow fell asleep at her side, his fingers brushing over hers.

"I want him removed immediately!"

Qrow was woken abruptly to a man berating a group of healers, who were all exchanging confused and exasperated looks. His stomach sank when he recalled who the man was. With the pale hair, glassy blue eyes- he was undeniably a Schnee. Qrow had only known the man by reputation and seeing him in flesh did little to improve his opinion.

Qrow stood, stretching his legs as he did so. Winter was asleep beside him, peaceful and unnervingly still.

" _You_ -" Mr. Schnee snarled, striding up to Qrow with a finger waving.

"Hello, Qrow." Weiss Schnee sighed from beside her Father.

Qrow nodded in hello towards the younger girl and looked back to the Schnee patriarch. Seeing Winter's Father up close was about as dramatic as Qrow had anticipated. Already, he had a burning hatred towards the man, a feeling he thought to be quite warranted.

"Look, I-" Qrow began, already exhausted.

"I am her Father! Why was I not called the moment she arrived?" he seethed, glaring at Qrow then turning accusingly to a healer.

"Sir, she arrived with General Ironwood. And her documents state that her husband is next of kin and be given full rights to decide the direction of her medical care." a nurse explained, rifling through Winter's file.

Qrow exhaled. There it was.

"My daughter is not married."

There was an uncomfortable silence, as Mr. Schnee looked from the healer, to Weiss, who was shifting nervously beside him, then to Qrow. He bristled, winding tight as his face took on an odd shade of red.

"Father, she-" Weiss began, sending a nervous glance Qrow's way.

"We're married, we have been for almost a year now." Qrow informed him, lifting his hand up to loftily show his father in law the silver ring on his finger.

Qrow swore he saw the man's moustache twitch in rage. Mr. Schnee turned abruptly towards Weiss, teeth grit and fists curled at his sides.

"You knew about this?" he demanded of Weiss.

"Yes, Father." she admitted. The younger Schnee looked towards her sister, and in a moment of bravery, her expression harded and she said, "I was the maid of honor. I walked her down the aisle."

"Do not expect me to forget this." Mr. Schnee warned his daughter, who once again shrank under her Father's anger.

"Winter didn't want you there and she definitely wouldn't want you _here_." Qrow told him, turning to take his seat at his wife's bed side.

She hadn't made a single move since the arguement began, and Qrow was vaguely relieved she wasn't awake for this. Her family was always a touchy subject. Qrow only knew that her Mother had been an alcoholic and had been a distant figure, and her Father was over bearing and cruel. Her siblings had been the only happiness in her life. Even they had been torn away from her when she chosen to join the military rather than take her role as heir to the company.

When she had finally been granted permission to see her siblings, Weiss was away at Beacon and Whitley was a stranger, convinced of his Father's stories of Winter's betrayal and malevolence. Weiss was the only connection to her family that maintained.

She would be happy that Weiss was here, if not a bit worried. He could imagine her being absolutely indignant that her sister had been allowed to see her so weak. He smiled, leaned forward and touched her hand.

"Qrow." He turned, where Weiss was standing, hands folded formally in front of her.

"Yeah, kid?"

She exhaled, her shoulders sinking at her brother in law's informality. She walked to her sister's bedside, her face scrunched in worry. Weiss tentatively touched her sister's hand, running her thumb over her bony knuckles.

"Your Dad finally leave?" Qrow asked.

Weiss sighed, shaking her head. "He's speaking with the General. He's...very upset."

Qrow snorted. "No shit."

He considered it for a moment. "I don't like the guy, but it was one hell of a bomb to drop on him."

Weiss frowned, mouth curling down hard in the corners. "He's awful. He doesn't deserve to know." she said, firmly. " _You_ make her happy, he'll just ruin it."

Qrow looked back to Winter, her sleeping face impassive, and his grip on her hand grew firm.

"Let him try."


End file.
